About

The Food Allergy Education Network (FAEN) was founded by Gina Mennett Lee, a mother of a two children, one of whom has a life-threatening food allergy. It began in 2009 as a support group for parents of children with food allergies, and now is comprised of a dedicated board of directors and many volunteers. We quickly found that food allergies not only affect individuals and families, but they really affect our entire community. The results of a study published in Pediatrics found that an even greater number of children are affected by food allergies than previously thought. It was found that almost 6 million children have food allergies in the U.S. It also found that 8% of children under the age of 18 have this life-threatening medical condition. This emerging health issue compounded with the increase in the number of children with food allergies has put an enormous strain on local communities to address the needs of these children and the larger community. There is a great demand for educational information, training, support services and advocacy work. To meet this need in the community FAEN created a mission to broaden our reach. We now serve as a resource for the entire community in addition to advocating for the needs of children and families affected by this condition. As a result, we have become a 501 (c) (3) so we can further the charitable and educational purposes of our organization. Our organization now works with local schools, restaurants, camps, childcare facilities, and other organizations. We provide educational materials, workshops, training and more. We also advocate for necessary changes to keep up with this growing issue.